Gainesway sales grad Paddy O'Prado won his third consecutive graded stakes with an emphatic score in the $400,000 Secretariat S. (G1) Aug. 21 at Arlington Park. The 3-year-old son of El Prado scored by 1 1/4-lengths in the ten furlong event over the lawn, and bolstered his claim on a year-end Eclipse Award.

The gray or roan colt has already won the Virginia Derby (G2), Colonial Turf Cup (G2) and Palm Beach S. (G3) on the grass, run second in the Blue Grass (G1) over Polytrack, and run third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on dirt. In a year where the top three-year-old colts have taken turns defeating one another, Paddy O'Prado's dominance and versatility are striking.

In the Secretariat, Paddy O’Prado got an ideal trip under Kent Desormeaux, settling in third position for nearly the entire race, while Cherokee Lord set soft fractions of :25.80, :51.78, 1:16.94, and 1:41.12. Paddy O'Prado stormed to the lead inside the final furlong, leaving the field in his wake to win in 2:04.71 over a turf course softened by overnight and early morning rains.

Paddy O’Prado netted $240,000 for the score, and upped his career record to 11-4-2-3 and $1,351,297 for his multi-owner partnership. Donegal Racing is led by Jerry Crawford, and Paddy O'Prado is among the inaugural group of horses owned by the partners. The stable star was bred in Kentucky by Winchell Thoroughbreds, and sold at the 2008 Keeneland September Sale.

Trainer Dale Romans said Paddy O’Prado was likely to run back in the Oct. 2 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont Park, and then possibly the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs. He is one of 40 stakes horses, ten Graded stakes winners, consigned by Gainesway this year.